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22,000 persons were brought from the country into the city to vote, and, as far as the fact could be ascertained, not one horse was killed from excess of driving. The ancient bridge over the Ouse has often attracted the pencil of the artist; and the ruins of St. Mary are still beautiful, though they have been lately much dilapidated, for the sake of the materials.

The ride to Durham is very pleasant, and frequently picturesque. This city derives all its consequence from its enormous cathedral, (situated in a lofty and well-wooded knell,) the windings of the river Wear and its bridges, and the beautiful walks which adorn its meanders. In these walks are many elms and mountain-ash, of the noblest growth. The houses are in general mean, and far from corresponding with the features I have just before mentioned. The cathedral is a vast heavy pile, chiefly of Saxon architecture, a huge quarry above ground, the foundation of which was laid in 1093. The size of the interior, and the massy magnitude of the pillars, arrayed in all the clumsy magnificence of the Norman style, are all that are worthy of notice within. The castle, or bishop's palace, adjoining, is, like the cathedral, very large and gloomy. The rooms within are dark and unfurnished. The only object worthy of any notice is a curious and highly-embellished Saxon arch, in the long gallery, which, only a few years

CATHEDRAL.

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since, was discovered behind a covering of plaister. Some, but a very small part, of the castle, is supposed to be coeval with William the Conqueror. The Bishop shews his taste by residing at Bishop Auckland, about eleven miles distant, and never entering the gloomy abode but when official duty renders it necessary. In one of the chambers, I am informed, is the coffin of St. Cuthbert, a large chest, strongly hooped with iron. As my Cicerone did not mention this circumstance, I have done it for the benefit of future travellers who are curious in such matters *.

• The manor of Sockburne, formerly belonging to the Conyers, now in the possession of Sir William Blackett, Bart. in the neighbourhood of Durham, is held by knight-service under the Bishop of Durham, and by an observance of the following singular ceremony :-At the first entrance of the Bishop into the country, the Lord of Sockburne, or his agent, meets him in the middle of the Tees at Neesham, where the water is fordable, or at Croft Bridge, when he presents a falchion to the Bishop, as an emblem of his temporal power, and repeats the following words:" My Lord Bishop, I here present you with the falchion wherewith the champion Conyers slew the worm, dragon, or fiery flying serpent, which destroyed man, woman, and child, in memory of which the King then reigning gave him the manor of Sockburne, to hold by this tenure, that, upon the first entrance of every Bishop into the country, this falchion should be presented." The Bishop then takes the falchion in his hand, and immediately returns it to the person who presents it, wishing the Lord of Sockburne health, and a long enjoyment of the manor.

In the ancient pedigree of the family of Conyers it is set forth, that "Sir John Conyers, Knt. who slew y monstrous vennomous and poysonous wyvern, asp, or worm, which overthrew and devoured many people in fight, and the scent of the poyson was so strong that no person might abide it, and hereby p'vidence of Almighty God overthrew it, and it lyeth buried at

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The prison is well calculated to punish the prisoner be fore his guilt is proved: the dungeons, which are below each other, are dark, damp, and unwholesome. The ventilators, which ascend to the top of the gaol, are choked up. The prisoners sleep upon straw; the common room is small, and badly ventilated; and the male prisoners are let out only seven at a time into a small yard for exercise, and that only twice a week, which yard is close to an inn, and commanded by it. It is additionally painful to reflect that the assizes are only held here once a year. The keeper of the prison is a humane and respectable man, and much regretted that the building was so objectionable. The bridewell is in a shocking state. The sleeping-room of the prisoners is a great cave under the road, strewed at the bottom with straw, like the stables of the robbers in Gil Blas. Into this vault I was shown, in mid-day, by the aid of a lanthorn it was dripping with wet on every side.

Sockburne before the Conquest. But before he did enterprise, having but one childe, went to the church in complete armour, and offered up his sonne to the Holy Ghost, which monuments are yet to see. Also the place where the serpent lay is called Greystone." Tradition still points to the spot where this mighty worm or dragon was entombed. The story, if literally taken, is more curious than singular, in depicting the credulity of distant times; but it is most probable that this flying monster was figuratively used to denote some great rebellious Lord, who was successfully resisted by the gallant Conyers.

CHAP. II.

A VILLAGE OF BUTCHERS-EFFECT OF HABIT--BEN JOHNSON'S RIDDLE-SPANISH PROVERB-NEWCASTLE-EXPORTATION OF

VIL

COALS CURIOUS ANECDOTE OF A SHOT-TOWER-THE
LAGE OF LEMINGTON-ROMAN PIECE OF PLATE-GREEN-
WICH-HOSPITAL LANDS-HEXHAM ABBEY-NATURE PRETTY
EQUAL IN HER GIFTS-NORTHUMBRIAN DIALECT-FRENCH
LANGUAGE TRACEABLE IN NORTHUMBERLAND-A HINT TO
THE TRUSTEES OF GREENWICH HOSPITAL-ROMAN WALL-A
NORTHUMBRIAN FAIR-WATLIN STREET-ANECDOTE OF SIMY

DOD-CAPHEATON-WALLINGTON HOUSE-A PEEL.

IN the road from Durham to Newcastle-upon-Tyne, I passed by Lumley Castle, a noble seat of Lord Scarborough, near Chester-le-Street, a village which is nearly filled with butchers, who supply the adjoining collieries with meat. The spiral smoke of these collieries blackens the atmosphere to a great distance, and gives to the surrounding country the appearance of a collection of volcanos. Between Chester-le-Street and Newcastle the traveller is carried over a very long and tedious hill, exposed and barren, called Gateshead-fell, (from the summit of which there is a fine view of the Tyne,) when the road might, with the greatest ease, be

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EFFECT OF HABIT.

carried through a beautiful vale. Upon this hill most of the grindstones, for which Newcastle is so famous, are found and manufactured, of which there are several depots, resembling so many piles of cheeses.

How full of accommodation is habit! a gentleman of Newcastle, who travelled with me from Durham, observed, that he looked upon smoke as good for all disorders, and particularly efficacious in repelling the plague; and a gentleman, who had a considerable property in the marshy part of Lincolnshire, before observed to me, that the fens were unusually wholesome.

Newcastle is a large and splendid town, but under a volcanic atmosphere, which threw a sombre tint over every object. The inhabitants, I am told, are not conscious of this. The crown-like summit of the tower of St. Nicholas is well worthy of notice. Wallis, in his History of Northumberland, vol. ii. page 221, thus describes this steeple:-" Four stone images, at full length, adorn each corner of a square tower, "out of which rises a curious steeple, in height sixty-four

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yards, one foot, and three quarters, decorated with thirteen pinnacles, two bold stone arches, supporting a large and "beautiful lanthorn, on which is a tall and stately spire." Ben Johnson, it is supposed, made the following uncouth

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